Chapter 24

A week was a long time to a 5-year-old, a week without seeing the horses, or skating was torture. Especially as Timmy had been out nearly every night on his bicycle with Nick, and while Zona was allowed to play, she wasn't allowed her bike or her skates which made it a lot less fun.

It made the punishment a lot more effective, than just a hit, long consequences. The week was broken up by Captain coming home, both children had drawn welcome home posters, and had dressed in their best clothes with everyone else from base patiently waiting, finally men marched out of the hanger they were in all in dress uniform.

"Dismissed" Captain Robbins said watching as his men ran to their families. In the past he'd always felt jealousy of the children running to their dads but not today as 2 sets of arms came at him in a running hug that had he been weaker would have knocked him off his feet.

"Captain, your back, and you didn't die" Zona exclaimed, "I missed you lots and lots"

"Dad" Timmy said hugging him, "I missed you as well" Daniel grinned, biting his lip hard, he couldn't cry not in front of his men, but that was the first time he had been called dad.

"I love you son" he choked out, "And you daughter of mine." He lifted her up onto his shoulders, before hugging his wife, holding her tightly, kissing her lips.

"I missed you" he whispered, "was everything was okay"

"I missed you to, and nothing I couldn't handle," at his curious look she continued, "I'll fill you in later. We made your favourite for tea the kids even made cake"

"Cake, I love cake" Daniel exclaimed, as they got to the car. He drove home Timmy keeping up a running commentary of all his activities for the week, while Zona remained silent. The closer they got to home the more fear she felt, her last daddy had beaten her would this one, when he found out how naughty she had been. Daniel could tell something had happened, the way Zona avoided eye contact just sitting in the back fiddling with the hem of her dress.

Barbara placed her hand on his knee telling him things were okay, and they'd talk at home for now he focused on his son and his A in history.

He pulled up outside the home, the kids ran inside, he caught Barbara outside

"What did I miss? Why is Zona silent?" he asked desperate to know,

"She went to see the horses, on her own, she got lost, I had half the base searching for her before I got a message, Dr Mabel found her. She is being punished, no horses, no skates, no bike for a week. It ends Monday" Barbara summed up, Daniel laughed,

"I had Timmy down for the mischievous one, not Zona"

"I know, butter wouldn't melt, you have no idea how hard it is to punish her with those baby blue eyes that look like you killed her puppy, and the dimples" Barbara complained, Daniel snorted, it was true she knew how to work those puppy eyes. "I think she is worried, you're the daddy, I'm sure she thinks there is a beating coming" Barbara explained, Daniel nodded.

They entered the house to find the children in the kitchen proudly standing next to their cake. It looked a mess, like a unicorn had vomited, the icing was marine green and had been applied while the cake was still warm so it was thick in places and thin in others it had sprinkles in lumps across the top. There was black icing across the top

Welcome home

Daniel guessed Timmy had written it, while Zona had been in charge of the sprinkles, hence why the whole pot sat on the cake,

"Wow I love it, Marine green, and so many sprinkles" he praised, "Who wants a slice?" he asked, two sets of hands shot up.

"Before dinner?" Barbara asked

"It's a special occasion, I'm home" Daniel defended as a compromise he cut the slices smaller than he intended. "Now Zona you've been quiet, what did I miss?" he asked passing her the cake

"I was naughty"

"I heard, no skates for a week, I guess I'm on my own tomorrow," Daniel said, "But we can both go Monday, I'm sure the horses have missed you. Now what else have I missed? Didn't you have that spelling test?" He asked,

"You're not mad?" Zona asked, checking again now he knew how naughty she had been,

"I'm hurt, you knew what you were doing was wrong and you did it anyway, and I asked you to behave and be good for mommy while I was gone, but you have written your apology letters, and have been punished no skating, or horses for a week. My only addition is that you learn from this." He pulled her onto his knee.

"We all make mistakes in life, we all do this wrong, we have to deal with the consequences and move on. It called being the good man in a storm, it doesn't matter how you got into the storm, but what does matter is how you act after. How you ride out the storm, you took your consequences like a champ, no moaning, no whinging, no trying to cheat, that's what is important. You messed up sport but come Monday all consequences are over" He said. "Are you going to leave the house again without telling me or Mommy?" he asked.

"No Sir" Zona replied solemnly, Daniel nodded,

"Good, now, let's eat cake. I'd like anything that isn't a MRE right now"

Monday morning came as usual Daniel was the first up, Zona a close second, she ran downstairs.

"Can we see horses please?" she begged,

"Breakfast first" he ordered pointing at the toast with chocolate spread on. Zona sat down obediently eating her toast, "now go put your clothes on" he ordered watching her speed upstairs. She came down in a pink tutu which was over blue jeans an orange t-shirt.

"Can we go now?" Zona begged. Daniel nodded pulling on his running shoes as Zona put on her skates.

Together they went to the horse fields.

"Zeus, Titan" Zona called the horses bolted over, spotting their friend, "They remember me" she said joyfully,

"Of course, sport, they remember their friends" Daniel said beginning his sprints, as Zona began telling the horses about everything that had happened in the last week, until it was time to go home.

At home Barbara and Timmy were both awake, having breakfast themselves.

"How were the horses?" Barbara asked

"Good, they knew me"

"Of course, they did, now let's practice those timetables before school."

The two weeks passed quickly, soon they were dressed in their best clothes, as they watched Daniel deploy again, this time for 6 months.

"Bye Zona, bye Timmy you both be good, listen to your mummy, Zona only go to horses when mommy says it's okay" Daniel warned, "Be good at school, work hard, I love you." he bent down hugging and kissing each of them,

"Bye dad" Timmy hugged him tightly, being older he was desperate to be normal and normal children had a mom and a dad and he wanted both.

"Bye son, I love you, work hard at your karate" Daniel said getting teary, it was one thing to leave a wife at home, it was a whole other dimension to leave children behind.

"Bye Captain dad" Zona said, hugging him. While she didn't trust daddies, she could trust dad's especially Captain dad's. Daniel nodded, blinking back tears; this was the first time his daughter had called him dad.

"Bye Zona, I love you, be a good man in a storm" he said, turning to his wife.

"Be safe, come home, I love you" she said hugging him holding him tightly, give him a long kiss goodbye.

"I love you too, take care of them"

Daniel straightened his uniform giving himself a moment to pull himself together before walking off into the restricted area. He didn't look back, he couldn't, leaving his family to go on deployment was the hardest thing he had to do, not knowing if the middle east was going to descend into war while he was there. This is to protect them he reminded himself. This is for them.

Barbara took the kids home, Zona clinging onto her, as if fearing to let go even for a moment was to lose her. While Timmy went upstairs to his room. When Barbara went to check on him, she found him lying on his bed hugging him Marine cap that Daniel had gifted him.

"I miss him" he complained,

"I know, I miss him too" Barbara replied lying on the bed hugging her son, Zona crawling in too. This was the hardest bit of being a military wife, being left behind, trying to run a house without the support of your other half, especially with 2 emotionally traumatised children. Of course, it helped she wasn't alone, Stacy was a god send, she'd done it before with Nick and Emily and quickly sent a list of things to help from a list of approved babysitters, to after school activities. Barbara quickly enrolled them in the same clubs as Nick and Emily, Stacy agreeing to share lifts.

Both Zona and Timmy quickly settled into life with Daniel. Zona would wake up first normally amusing herself with cartoons until Timmy and Barbara came downstairs, they'd eat breakfast and then go to see the horses on the way to school. Every morning Zona would ask if Captain dad was dead. Barbara was happy every morning she could tell the little girl he was still alive fighting baddies.

After school they'd go straight to after school activities, come home and do homework. Then they'd play sometimes if the weather co-operated outside, skating or riding their bikes, if the weather wasn't good, they'd do cooking or art or watch TV until bath and bedtime.

The first Sunday came, 10am exactly the phone rang. Barbara knew exactly who it would be, excitedly she picked it up.

"Hello"

"Hey Barb,"

"You arrived safe"

"I did, it's a balmy 35 degrees here, and I have sand where I never wanted sand. How are you?"

"We are all good, kids are doing well, we miss you and I love you" Barbara said, she knew the phone calls home didn't last long "Timmy, Zona" Barbara called

"I love you too,"

"Stay safe"

"I will do everything I can to come back to you" he promised

"Mom" Timmy said coming into the room

"It's Captain dad, he is on the phone" Barbara said handing the phone to Timmy,

"Dad, I miss you" he said

"Me too son, I miss you, are you being good for your mom?"

"Uh huh, I got an A in maths and a B in spelling"

"Wow good job" Daniel praised, beaming proudly even though they couldn't see him,

"I love you dad; Zona wants to talk to you" Timmy passed the phone across to Zona who was bouncing impatiently next to him.

"Captain dad you're not dead,"

"No Zona I'm not"

"Did you beat the baddies yet?" Zona asked,

"Not yet Zona, we will keep trying,"

"Uh huh to protect us and country"

"That's right, I love you champ, pass the phone back to your mommy" Daniel said checking his watch, time was running out

"Dan,"

"Barb, anything I need to know or sort?" he asked

"No, we are good, promise, Timmy's birthday is coming up, we going to have a party"

"he'll be 9, right, let me talk to one of my buddies, he has a paintball range, he can take some boys from class" Daniel suggested,

"He'd love that, let me know when you've set it up. I love you"

"I love you too, but I have to go, tell the kids I love them too"

The phone went dead. Barbara placed it back in the cradle, hugging her kids close to her.

"I miss Captain dad" Zona said,

"I know we all miss him and he misses you too" Barbara reminded her, "But we all have to be good men in the storm, he is fighting the baddies for us, for our country, to keep everyone safe"

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